GOP, tea party supporting Lamb

Sunday

Oct 17, 2010 at 6:00 AMOct 17, 2010 at 12:20 PM

By Priyanka Dayal TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Disgusted with the policies of a Democrat-controlled Congress, Len Mead of Westboro cast his vote in the primary for the Republican he thought most qualified to take on incumbent U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern.

It was not Martin A. Lamb.

But to the surprise of many, the Holliston lawyer, buoyed by tea party support, won the five-way primary.

“A lot of people that supported other candidates were surprised and disappointed,” Mr. Mead said. “But the bottom line is everyone has coalesced around Marty, and Marty has risen to the occasion.”

Eighteen months ago, when Mr. Lamb first said he was running for Congress, he was a complete unknown. He was a private citizen, a family man and the owner of a real estate law firm, who frequently yelled at the television when he saw news reports about what he considered to be overbearing legislation and wasteful government spending.

Since then, Mr. Lamb has attracted a boisterous group of supporters across the 3rd Congressional District, which spans from Princeton to Fall River. But interest in his campaign is also coming from outside Massachusetts.

He has been mentioned in national conservative blogs and appeared once on Fox News. A Nevada-based political action committee has pledged to spend “whatever it takes” to help Mr. Lamb defeat the “radical” Mr. McGovern. The national committee that helps Republicans running for Congress is also watching the race.

At least some of the attention is a result of Mr. Lamb's quirky campaign handout, the barf bag. The white paper bags, which he distributes in lieu of traditional fliers, are for voters who are “sick of Congress.”

More recently, the 53-year-old Mr. Lamb started traveling to public events with a big blue synthetic pig. The fake farm animal is marked with the phrase “Lamb, not Pork.”

Mr. Lamb said he has found creative ways to draw attention despite the chasm between his war chest and Mr. McGovern's.

While he argues there should be room for humor in politics, he insists he is focused on the issues. Like Mr. McGovern, he said his biggest concern is creating jobs and improving the economy.

“He and I have a very different concept of what job creation is,” Mr. Lamb said.

While his opponent pushes for green jobs, Mr. Lamb, who drives a Toyota Prius, said the government shouldn't provide breaks to one industry over another.

Mr. Lamb is hoping frustrated voters will choose him over Mr. McGovern, a seven-term incumbent and vice chairman of the House's powerful Rules Committee, and Patrick J. Barron, the independent candidate in the race.

Mr. McGovern, meanwhile, is trying to convince voters that Mr. Lamb — not he — is a radical, an extreme conservative who opposes Social Security, Medicare and the U.S. Department of Education. Mr. Lamb acknowledged signing pledges from the Tenth Amendment Center and tea party groups but denies wanting to abolish entitlement programs or an entire federal department.

“I'm not for slashing anything without investigation,” said Mr. Lamb, who believes Congress should establish a sunset committee to search for potential spending cuts.

He has no experience holding or running for public office, but that appears to be an asset for voters tired of career politicians.

“He's a breath of fresh air,” said Jim Knowlton, chairman of the Worcester Republican City Committee. “He's an outstanding candidate because he's a small-business man. He can relate more to the average person.”

The National Republican Congressional Committee has not spent any money in the race, but spokesman Tory Mazzola said the committee is watching.

“We absolutely are keeping an eye on it,” he said. “We think it will get more and more competitive as it gets closer to November.”

Mr. Lamb's supporters praise his unusual campaign strategy, but the congressman and his supporters say the Republican is short on substance, inconsistent on the issues and focused on gimmicks and cheap shots.

“When you have to resort to silly pranks to get attention, what it says to me is there is not substance to the campaign or your candidacy,” said Kathleen M. Toomey, a Worcester city councilor and staunch McGovern supporter.

Love it or hate it, the barf bag does explain some of Mr. Lamb's positions. Unlike Mr. McGovern, who touts his record of bringing federal dollars to the district, Mr. Lamb's strategy to improve the economy is based on tax cuts and looser regulations for businesses. While he criticizes the congressman for representing government pork, Mr. Lamb said in a recent interview that he would support some earmarks, such as funds for a downtown improvement project, if he was confident the funds would help create jobs.

On illegal immigration, Mr. Lamb supports better enforcement of existing laws — as does Mr. McGovern — but he strongly opposes a path to citizenship. And he has vowed to help restore “fiscal sanity” to Washington.

The now-conservative Mr. Lamb was raised in Sharon by Democratic parents. He cast his first vote for president for Jimmy Carter. “I didn't know any better,” he said.

He later became an independent and started voting for more conservatives. One major factor that changed his views, Mr. Lamb said, was starting his own business. That's when he realized Republicans were the “pro-business party,” he said.

A few years after starting a law firm with a partner, Mr. Lamb declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 1999 and was cleared of more than $226,000 in credit card debt. He said he amassed the personal debt while trying to keep his fledgling business afloat.

Although he laid off some employees over the years because of the sagging real estate market, since his bankruptcy, Mr. Lamb has built a successful business.

The father of two daughters, 16-year-old Simma and 19-year-old Elissa, said he has learned from his early financial mistakes.

His supporters seem to appreciate that. “He had a failure and that's the way it is,” said Mr. Mead of Westboro, a Republican and active tea party member who enthusiastically backed Mr. Lamb after the primary.

But others argue Mr. Lamb's plans to cut government spending and pay off the hefty national debt have no merit.

“His claims to fiscal responsibility, as shown by his personal financial issues, are hollow,” said Joe Scully, a Worcester bartender who has worked on Democratic campaigns in the past.

Mr. Scully often appears at Mr. Lamb's frequent press conferences in Worcester and holds signs supporting Mr. McGovern. Ten days ago he watched Mr. Lamb stand outside City Hall and criticize the congressman for voting to slash Medicare funding as part of the national overhaul of health care. Behind the candidate, his supporters dressed up in lab coats, confusing some passers-by who thought they were actually scientists.

Mr. Lamb, who often carries a copy of the Constitution in his pocket, said he believes in health care reform, but not in the form Congress approved. He wants “Obamacare” repealed so Congress can work on incremental changes to the system. Why not have a bill focused only on banning insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions? “I can't see that one bill not passing,” he said.

At a time when anti-incumbent sentiment is high, Mr. Lamb is forcing Mr. McGovern to campaign harder this year than he has in more than a decade. The candidates have been canvassing the district asking for votes, and they have no intentions of slowing down.

Whether he wins or loses, Mr. Lamb has made a promise to his wife, Peri, that he intends to keep. Three days after the election, the couple is going away to celebrate their 21st anniversary.